Getting colder

Russian President Vladimir Putin has the perfect résumé for a General Secretary of the Soviet Union. He is well versed in spycraft, enjoys punishing his enemies, excels in photo opportunities, and dabbles in invading his neighbors.

The trouble, of course, is that the Soviet Union died on December 26, 1991, of chronic economic and political ailments, aggravated by a longstanding refusal to embrace freedom.

Mr. Putin's latest move in his standoff with the West over Ukraine is to declare a ban on the importation of many agricultural products from the U.S. and Europe, with an estimated value of $17.3 billion annually. And Russian officials are also hinting they may close their airspace to European flights to Asia.

Mr. Putin may believe that playing Cold War politics will help him consolidate his position at home, secure his hold on Crimea, and keep Ukraine from drifting further toward Europe and the U.S.

If so, he is almost certainly wrong. The West's response to Mr. Putin's subversion of Ukraine has been a series of reactions, and not always as quick or as well-coordinated as they ought to have been.

But Mr. Putin's missteps — and the deaths of nearly 300 civilians aboard Flight MH17 — have hardened the West's position. Refusing to engage in global trade in the interconnected world of 2014 is a formula for economic misery. The nations of the world will very happily make up the differences among themselves.

The standoff over Ukraine remains a dangerous and destabilizing situation, requiring patience, vigilance, and resolve from Europe and the U.S. That includes calling Mr. Putin's bluff, whether he declares a trade war or feigns innocence in the attempted overthrow of a neighbor.

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